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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 124 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — a song
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mug — a face
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — in control
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — a price
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — rain
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. scale — size or range

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