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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cue — a signal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — to keep secret

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