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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — a gift
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ground — a position
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — the time now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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