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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. squash — the sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. craft — a skill
  21. row — to paddle
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. cold — not warm

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