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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — there
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — to hurry

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