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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bat — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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