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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. staff — employees
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — child
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — to tease
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bass — low music
  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