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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 116 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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468
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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a match
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mug — a cup

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