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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pit — in a race
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kid — child
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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