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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.

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: swing · can · stand · foot · mine · hide · cell · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a great time
  11. foot — a measure
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cell — a phone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — a tin

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