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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bound — certain
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spring — the season
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rock — a stone
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — a tin

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