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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — a position
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. mug — a face
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rush — hurry

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