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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. file — a tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. present — there
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — a container
  10. present — a gift
  11. last — to go on
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — finally
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. last — final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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