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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: hand · tear · rash · stand · jam · ruler · bay · dip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to sink
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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