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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — a video
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rock — a stone
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bound — tied together

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