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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — a path
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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