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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. foot — a measure
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — happening now
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — animal skin

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