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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
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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: hide · row · cold · toast · date · rush · spell · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cold — not warm
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cold — an illness
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — magic
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a line

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