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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — humankind
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — moving air

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