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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — the season
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ground — the earth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — to push
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — a container
  17. ground — a position
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wind — to turn a key

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