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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — ground
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — clever
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — a country

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