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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tear — from crying

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