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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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468
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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — a practice
  4. court — for sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — army training
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. swing — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. court — of law
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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