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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — a law
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rule — to rule out

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