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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — an illness
  9. spring — of water
  10. cold — not warm
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a hat

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