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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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