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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — of ice

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