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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. shower — rain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rule — government
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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