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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · racket · ruler · tube · kick · march

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tube — the underground
  13. march — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ruler — a monarch

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