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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. deal — to handle
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mine — an explosive

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