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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — the earth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — a position
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hand — in cards
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — a box
  17. rule — a law
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — government
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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