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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — army training
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to spend time

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