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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cold — not warm
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. suit — to fit
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pass — a permit
  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