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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — to bear
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spring — the season
  15. suit — in cards
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spring — of water

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