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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. game — a match
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — wild animals
  14. field — farmland
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. field — a subject

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