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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rash — a series
  8. court — of law
  9. hand — help
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — decided
  17. fall — the season
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — a company
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — on the skin

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