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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. plane — a tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — government
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rock — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — animal skin

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