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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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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — for paper
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. clip — a video
  24. hide — to keep secret

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