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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: hide · bat · bear · fall · jam · object · ruler · fine

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — all right
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. fall — the season
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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