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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — a box
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lean — thin
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — a group
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — to shout
  22. current — happening now
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. current — of water

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