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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. net — after costs
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wound — an injury
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — newspapers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. press — a publisher
  22. net — for catching
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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