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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — a subject
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — for sport
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — farmland
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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