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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — help
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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