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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: leaves · suit · net · cold · hand · hide · mug · mouse

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. net — after costs
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cold — an illness
  16. suit — in cards
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — help

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