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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — the underground
  3. saw — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. last — to go on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. season — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cold — an illness
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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