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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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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — music
  24. file — a line of people

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