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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. craft — boats
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — a law
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rash — a series
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — government
  24. shower — rain

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