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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cell — in biology
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — a grade

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