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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — a series
  6. file — a line of people
  7. squash — the sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a song
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — to crush

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