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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. suit — in cards
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. tear — from crying

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