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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. row — to paddle
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. file — a tool
  15. land — a country
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a document
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chair — a leader
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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