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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cue — for pool

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