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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.

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: foot · last · trunk · firm · ball · mouse · hide · cold

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — finally
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — decided
  24. cold — the Cold War

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