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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · bat · stand · safe · fork · season · hand · hide

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hand — help
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. last — to go on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stand — on your feet

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