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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cold — not warm
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — to keep secret

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