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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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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: chest · dip · kid · hide · lean · cue · stick · ruler

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — thin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chest — a box
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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