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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.

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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: squash · fork · lean · stand · hide · pass · roll · cold

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cold — an illness
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cold — not warm

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