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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a list

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