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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · lean · sharp · bass · hide · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bass — low music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — clever
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument

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