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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: season · track · hide · kid · bear · cabinet · foot · net

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — a song
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — to tease
  9. foot — a measure
  10. season — of the year
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. track — a path
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. kid — child
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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