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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: ruler · pass · ground · hide · foot · rest · kid · rush

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — a break
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — a position
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — animal skin

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