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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a cup
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. shower — to wash
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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