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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — thin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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