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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stock — goods
  10. track — a path
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a document
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rash — hasty
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — shares
  24. track — a song

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