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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 116 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: kid · ruler · fork · hide · rest · club · stand · cap

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rest — a break
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fork — in a road
  10. club — a group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for golf
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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