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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 120 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: mine · arm · ruler · pit · mate · pound · drill · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — to breed
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a friend
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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