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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: fan · tear · toast · stick · hide · scale · mark · stand

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — in music

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