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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. file — a tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a line of people
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a document
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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