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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · hide · pass · hand · stand · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed

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