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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — thin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rash — hasty
  24. prune — the fruit

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