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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. net — in sport
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cold — an illness
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. object — to protest
  21. rock — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. rock — to move gently

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