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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chest — a box
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — a thing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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