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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — a stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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