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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mate — a friend
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a hole
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — to crush

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