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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a document
  4. craft — boats
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spell — magic
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  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