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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — to recline
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — for catching
  14. spring — the season
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spring — of water
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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