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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — to tease
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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