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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — in football
  18. row — a line
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wound — an injury

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