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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 124 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — high quality
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — the season
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spring — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rash — a series
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — a permit
  24. prune — to trim

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