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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — the season

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