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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. firm — a company
  4. bound — certain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. chest — a box
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — tied together
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. firm — steady
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — in music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. firm — decided

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