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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: rest · ground · chair · hide · rush · content · leaves · ruler

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. content — happy
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — to hurry

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