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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 116 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — in sport
  6. kid — to tease
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — of ice
  9. snap — to click
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. net — for catching
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — after costs

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