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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 · pit · pound · cap · ruler · last · hand · rush

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. last — to go on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. last — final
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — to hurry

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