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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in biology
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — a thing
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — an aim
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — a phone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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