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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: mark · kid · hide · roll · staff · lean · pit · net

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — a stick
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — child
  6. staff — employees
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. roll — a list
  21. mark — a grade
  22. net — after costs
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. hide — to keep secret

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