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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ball — a great time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — the season
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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