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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — child
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ruler — a monarch

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