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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — a big deal

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