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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 124 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: stand · racket · fork · rush · hide · sharp · tear · scale

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — clever
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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