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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — in football
  20. bat — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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