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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rock — music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. tube — the underground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tube — a container

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