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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. band — a music group
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — to protest
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — a position
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — what's left
  22. object — an aim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — the earth

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