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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ground — a position
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — low music
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. row — to paddle

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