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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — finally
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — to go on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — a group

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