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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — to bear
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a music group
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. sharp — exactly

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