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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. present — a gift

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