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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · ground · saw · rest · hide · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — a position
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — on your feet

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