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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. field — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — a subject
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — the tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — a straw man

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