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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: fine · bat · ruler · spell · cell · kid · mark · hide

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — in biology

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