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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mug — a face
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tear — to rip
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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