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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a great time
  5. key — in music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. press — to push
  24. ruler — for measuring

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