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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bank — for money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — in cards
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — a line
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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