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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. land — ground
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. land — a country
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. prune — to trim
  16. land — to come down
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wind — moving air

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