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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pop — music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — a line
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. firm — a company
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — steady
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pop — soda

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