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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — a practice
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. drill — army training
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — a stone
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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