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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — to recline

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