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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — of water
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. swing — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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