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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.

Make a worksheet

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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. file — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lie — to recline
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a document
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring

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