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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. chip — to eat
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — to be able to
  7. board — to get on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — an illness
  10. spell — letters
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cold — not warm
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — a committee
  16. can — a tin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chest — a box

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