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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. kid — to tease
  11. shower — rain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — child
  15. hand — in cards
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — to wash
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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