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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — temperature
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — a jug

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