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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — to get on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cold — not warm
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — a position
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cold — an illness
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. dip — to sink

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