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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mug — to rob
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a cup
  24. net — after costs

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