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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mark — a trace
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a grade

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