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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. swing — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fine — all right
  24. swing — to play on

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