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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — a series
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. file — a document
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a line of people
  24. temple — a place of worship

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