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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: chair · bowl · hide · stand · ruler · hand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — help

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