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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rash — hasty
  9. object — a thing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hand — help
  13. press — newspapers
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. object — an aim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hand — in cards
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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