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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. firm — a company
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fall — the season
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mate — a partner

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