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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a music group
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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