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

Word bank: ruler · club · jam · hide · tear · foot

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. club — for dancing
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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