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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ground — crushed
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — the animal

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