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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: ruler · mug · rest · lean · saw · stick · hide · date

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mug — to rob
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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