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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · game

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

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — in cards

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