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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rest — a break
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. prune — the fruit

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