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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. game — a match

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