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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stock — goods
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pop — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — a series

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