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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — soda
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. spring — the season
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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