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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. present — there
  4. ground — crushed
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chest — a box
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ground — a position
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — finally
  19. snap — to click
  20. wind — moving air
  21. last — final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. present — the time now
  24. ruler — a monarch

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