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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. shower — rain
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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