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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. root — of a word
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. root — the cause
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cold — not warm
  12. kid — child
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. kid — to tease
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — an illness
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — to handle
  24. root — of a plant

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