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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — a container
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — letters
  15. file — a tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ball — a round shape

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