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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — an aim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. swing — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. rule — government
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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