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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pit — in a race
  20. object — an aim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. drill — army training

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