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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — of water
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. clip — a video
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. chip — for betting

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