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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a leader
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — a series
  24. straw — dry grass

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