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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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. hand — help
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pit — in a race
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — in cards

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