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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — to push
  6. stem — to come from
  7. roll — a list
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. roll — a cake
  20. game — a match
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — a publisher
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rock — a stone

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