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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fork — in a road
  3. march — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ground — a position
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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