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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — a stick
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. march — the month
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. march — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. kick — in football
  24. swing — in golf

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