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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — in cards
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — help
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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