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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a hint
  8. snap — to click
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — shares
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — goods
  24. ruler — for measuring

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