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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — humankind
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — a contest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — to rip
  23. race — the arms race
  24. lie — to recline

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