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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — to handle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. dip — a sauce

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