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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · deal · cue · wound · bat · present · saw · temple

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — there
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. cue — a signal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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