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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kid — child
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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