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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — a subject
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — government
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — the season
  19. rule — a law
  20. spring — a coil
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — an explosive

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