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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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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: bowl · hide · net · fine · bay · rest · patient · fall

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — to roll

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