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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — thin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — a position
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — an illness

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