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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chest — a box
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — goods
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spring — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — shares
  24. clip — to cut

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