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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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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: bay · net · face · mouse · hide · land · suit · coach

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to confront
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — clothes
  17. face — to point toward
  18. land — to come down
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — a country
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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