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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pop — to visit
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — music
  17. game — a match
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ruler — for measuring

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