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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lie — to recline
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — to cut
  12. kid — to tease
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — a video
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. date — the fruit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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