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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — all right
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — thin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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