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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. present — the time now
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — there
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — for catching

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