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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — in a road
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. key — the most important part
  18. squash — the sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — in music

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