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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: field · last · cap · firm · rest · temple · pit · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. field — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. firm — decided
  5. field — a subject
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — a lid
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — steady
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a hole

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