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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 is an ace ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fall — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. field — farmland
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. foot — a measure

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