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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. hand — help
  18. track — a path
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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