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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 124 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wake — a trail
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kid — to tease
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a line
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. plane — a tool
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. nail — for a hammer

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