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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · ruler · stick · spell · stand · lean · cap · toast

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — bread
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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