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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. firm — decided
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — a trace
  13. foot — a measure
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. band — a ring

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