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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rash — hasty

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