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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — a lid
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cap — a hat
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cap — of ice
  24. leaves — lets stay

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