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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — a company
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — a group
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. firm — decided
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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