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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — the season
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rock — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — a signal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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