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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: hand · ball · pass · rash · ruler · field · hide · land

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — a subject
  8. pass — a permit
  9. hand — help
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. land — to come down
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rash — a series
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — to succeed
  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