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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — to paddle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. shower — to wash
  7. snap — to click
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — a group
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — a subject
  16. row — a line
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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