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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mug — a face
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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