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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chest — a box
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — a gift
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — there
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — to recline
  24. straw — a straw man

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