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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — the sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. band — a ring
  24. deal — an agreement

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