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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.

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: bark · hide · toast · mug · ball · net · cold · can

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mug — a cup
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mug — a face
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — for catching
  16. toast — bread
  17. cold — an illness
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a great time
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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