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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — in a race
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. plane — a tool
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. current — happening now
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pit — a hole
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hand — help
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — of water
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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