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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — soda
  6. chest — of your body
  7. file — a tool
  8. chest — a box
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitch — completely
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — to visit
  24. file — a line of people

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