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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — for sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lean — thin
  13. court — of law
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — of a king

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