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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — to crush
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — final
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — to go on
  24. craft — a handicraft

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