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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cold — not warm
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cold — an illness
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. snap — to click
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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