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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lean — thin
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spring — the season
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mug — a face
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — in control
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — to rob

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