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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a cup
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — the month
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fork — in a road
  16. hand — help
  17. march — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — a face
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ruler — for measuring

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