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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lean — thin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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