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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.

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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. ground — crushed
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — a position
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lie — to recline
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cold — an illness
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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