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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. swing — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — steady
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — a company
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — decided

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