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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — obliged
  10. drill — army training
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — for catching
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bound — certain
  24. deal — an agreement

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