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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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