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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — ground
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. drill — a practice
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — army training
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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