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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — a match
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. clip — a video
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — the animal

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