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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — to bend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lean — thin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — to eat with

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