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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hand — help
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chest — a box
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ruler — a monarch

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