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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cue — a signal
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. degree — from a university
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. degree — temperature
  23. toast — bread
  24. cue — for pool

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