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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. court — of law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — for sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — a sports field

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