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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rash — a series
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — for weighing

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