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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — a position
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com