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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. wake — a trail
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. face — to point toward
  24. ruler — a monarch

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