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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — to bend
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. roll — a list
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — thin
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. press — to push
  21. row — a line
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — shares

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