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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — to bear
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. band — a rubber band

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