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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a cup
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a face
  10. charge — in control
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — soda
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — to rob

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