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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tear — to rip
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — army training
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — a practice

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