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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. game — wild animals
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal

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