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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rule — government
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — help
  23. bowl — a dish
  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