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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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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — in control
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. cold — not warm
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — to protest

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