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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. present — there
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — the time now
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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