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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — a thing
  3. cold — not warm
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cold — an illness
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. object — an aim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — of ice
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. object — to protest
  19. cap — a lid
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. tube — the underground
  22. roll — a cake
  23. tear — to rip
  24. jam — in traffic

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