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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — a series
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — ground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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