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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — to bear
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. foot — a measure
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. roll — a cake
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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