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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. ball — a great time
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. roll — a cake
  8. snap — to click
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tear — to rip
  23. roll — a list
  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