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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — in control
  3. lean — to bend
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — to rip
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. charge — electricity
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — a group

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