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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — finally
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — to rip
  8. craft — boats
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — on your feet

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