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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. content — happy
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — a monarch

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