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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — help
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rule — a law

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