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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spring — the season
  20. drill — the tool
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — a practice
  24. file — a document

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