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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — to trim
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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