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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — soda
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — a container
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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