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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — to bend
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — on your feet

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