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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 116 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: mug · sharp · rush · fall · hand · fork · stand · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — the season
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. hand — help
  24. fork — in a road

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