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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — to breed
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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