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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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468
Word bank
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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — a series
  14. staff — employees
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. root — of a word
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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