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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. land — ground
  5. lean — to bend
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — an illness
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — a country
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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