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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — for catching
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — in sport

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