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

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — of a king
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — to protest
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rash — a series
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — a container
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — of law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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