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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. sharp — clever

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