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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 120 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: foot · lash · net · bore · bowl · hide · stand · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bore — to tire

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