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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — army training
  19. cold — an illness
  20. current — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. current — happening now

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