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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. land — a country
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — to visit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. land — ground
  24. pass — a permit

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