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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. season — of the year
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — in sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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