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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: net · hide · cold · bark · pit · ground · wave · object

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — an aim
  3. net — in sport
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — for catching
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ground — a position
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — an illness

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