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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. chest — of your body

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