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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fall — the season
  12. lie — to recline
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — to fit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — rain
  24. net — in sport

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