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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — a position
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. net — after costs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — the earth

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