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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cold — not warm
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. charge — a price
  15. row — a line
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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