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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
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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: ball · mate · saw · ruler · deal · racket · hide · leaves

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mate — to breed
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — of a tree

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