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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a line
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — a break
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. row — a quarrel

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