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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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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: file · fork · mug · lie · staff · capital · hide · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. capital — money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. file — a document
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — to bear
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a line of people
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a city

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