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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. field — for sport
  11. key — in music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — for a lock
  24. straw — a straw man

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