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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: suit · sharp · hide · can · wake · stand · tube · nail

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — to fit
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wake — a trail

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