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

Word bank: cold · ruler · hide · object · stick · court

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — a thing
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. cold — not warm
  13. court — of law
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — to protest
  18. cold — an illness

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