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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — a trace
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — for pool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spring — the season
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — a short time

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