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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · kid · hide · stand · shower · ground · racket · season

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. season — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. season — of the year
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — child

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