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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — child
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — to point toward
  22. shower — rain
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. nail — for a hammer

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