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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. swing — in golf
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. swing — to play on
  16. march — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. row — a line
  22. shower — rain
  23. row — to paddle
  24. object — an aim

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