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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — the fish
  15. court — of law
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. court — of a king
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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