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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — for money
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chest — a box
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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