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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — the season
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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