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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the fish
  5. land — to come down
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — ground
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. face — to confront
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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