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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — soda
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — a series
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stand — to bear
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — on your feet

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