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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — a container
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — a match
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — the underground
  14. game — wild animals
  15. swing — to play on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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