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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. capital — a city
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. capital — money
  16. club — for golf
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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