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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to sink
  12. race — humankind
  13. mate — a partner
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — a contest
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to dunk

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