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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lean — to bend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. face — to confront
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — soda
  20. spring — a coil
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spring — the season
  24. lean — thin

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