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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — a series
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — a container
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — boats
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — final
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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