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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spring — the season
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — thin
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — to turn a key

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