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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. file — a line of people
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. file — a tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a document
  22. fork — in a road
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rash — a series

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