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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. field — farmland
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — help
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tube — a container
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — a subject
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — for sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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