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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — thin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — a publisher
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. club — for golf

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