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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spring — of water
  8. shower — to wash
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — for catching
  11. shower — rain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — the season
  15. rest — a break
  16. staff — a stick
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — in control
  21. net — in sport
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spring — a coil
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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