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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — ground
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mate — a partner
  6. current — of water
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. current — electric
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. land — a country
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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