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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — of water
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — happening now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — on a finger

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