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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. object — to protest
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. object — a thing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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