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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. swing — to play on
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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