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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fork — in a road
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. march — the month
  24. game — a kind of play

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