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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — to protest
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — a series
  17. rule — government
  18. chip — for betting
  19. net — after costs
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — an aim
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — for weighing

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