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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: bay · stand · rash · racket · hand · hide · ground · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ground — the earth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cold — not warm
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cold — an illness
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — a position
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hand — help

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