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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rest — a break
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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