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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bat — the animal

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