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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. tube — a container

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