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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. capital — a city
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — a stone

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