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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fork — in a road
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — a line
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tear — to rip
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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