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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 · rush · straw · lie · pitcher · ball · rule · ground

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a great time

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