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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. field — farmland
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. field — for sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — a subject
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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