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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — to bear
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a tool
  24. bat — the animal

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