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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — the tool
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — to paddle
  9. content — the amount
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — a line
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. drill — army training

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