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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a document
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. file — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. club — a group
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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