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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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