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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — a country
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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