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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a line
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. drill — army training
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tube — the underground
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. drill — a practice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ruler — for measuring

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