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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kid — child
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — the season
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ball — a round shape

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