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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tube — a container
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — to rip
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — child
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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