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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. march — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — a company
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — the season
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. march — the month
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fall — to drop

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