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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ground — a position
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — a match
  24. mate — a partner

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