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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. tube — the underground
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cold — an illness
  12. shower — rain
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. snap — to click
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — in a road
  18. toast — bread
  19. shower — to wash
  20. tube — a container
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cold — not warm
  24. suit — clothes

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