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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 120 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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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: hide · ruler · bowl · chair · fall · club · snap · root

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. club — a group
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — of a word

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