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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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