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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — to come down
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — hurry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — the fruit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — letters
  24. saw — the tool

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