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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pop — soda
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cap — of ice
  24. spring — the season

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