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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — after costs
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a professorship

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