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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. staff — employees
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — thin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — music
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — in music

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