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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. row — a line
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — a box
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — a safe

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