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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — a division
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. court — for sport
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. court — of law
  19. object — to protest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — an aim

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