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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — a match
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to click
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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