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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rest — a break
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. scale — size or range
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

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