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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. net — for catching
  3. spring — a coil
  4. net — after costs
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. scale — in music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a dance
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to drill

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