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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — army training

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