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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cell — a phone
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — moving air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — a country
  19. pop — to visit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stand — for spectators

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