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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · staff · hand · bank · ground · hide · ruler · face

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to point toward
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — to confront

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