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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pound — a weight
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. kick — in football
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. track — a song

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