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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — music
  3. rock — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rock — a stone

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