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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 120 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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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: drill · straw · deal · mark · stand · stick · bear · hide

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mark — a grade
  16. drill — army training
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bear — the animal

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