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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. row — a line
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — a straw man

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