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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of law
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of a king
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. season — of the year
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — in sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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