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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bank — of a river
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — letters
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spell — magic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — ground
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — to come down
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — music

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