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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: hide · bass · ground · lean · pit · stand · temple · staff

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. staff — a stick
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ground — a position

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