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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — soda
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — thin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for golf
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — music

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