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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. scale — in music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

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