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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — an aim
  4. wake — a trail
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. object — to protest
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. game — a match
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. object — a thing
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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