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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — the time now
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — there
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ball — a dance
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. club — for dancing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hand — part of the body

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