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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: racket · fall · cold · chair · hide · pitcher · dip · craft

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cold — an illness
  19. craft — boats
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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