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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spring — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a round shape

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