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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — government
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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