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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · fine · deal · cold · hide · ground · present · ball

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — an illness
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — a gift
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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