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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — a break
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to tire
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a document
  24. craft — boats

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