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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — to push
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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