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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: pass · hide · mouse · cabinet · stand · swing · roll · sharp

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — a cake
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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