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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.

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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: hide · kid · ground · lean · date · pass · suit · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — clothes
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — thin
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. firm — steady
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — on the calendar

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