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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stock — goods
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a list
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — soda
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — to visit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. branch — a division
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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