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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — army training
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fan — a supporter

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