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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a dance
  7. game — a match
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to sink

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