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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: rule · roll · kid · wave · wake · hide · ruler · deal

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kid — child
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. roll — a list
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wave — with your hand

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