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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · cabinet · fall · lie · hand · bat · field · ruler

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — for sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — farmland
  21. hand — help
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bat — for baseball

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