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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. game — wild animals
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cue — a signal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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