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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cold — not warm
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cold — the Cold War

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