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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tear — to rip
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a rubber band

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