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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — finally
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — the season
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — to drop
  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