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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: field · roll · chair · shower · ruler · bear · hide · rush

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — a list
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. shower — rain
  14. chair — a leader
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — for sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. shower — to wash

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