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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. key — in music
  5. last — to go on
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. last — final
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wind — moving air
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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