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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — an illness
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. content — happy
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — low music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — not warm
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. content — the amount

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