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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: cold · hide · stand · row · charge · pit · stick · craft

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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