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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bore — to drill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. track — a path
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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