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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — a position
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. hand — help
  24. race — humankind

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