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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rash — a series
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ball — a great time
  20. clip — a video
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — of a word
  24. clip — to cut

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