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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — to rob
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. clip — for paper
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ball — a dance
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — a trace

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