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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. roll — a cake
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. field — for sport
  13. roll — a list
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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