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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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