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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — a gift
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — a list
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. present — there
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — not warm
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — to handle

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