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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — a city
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — a hint
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cue — for pool
  20. tear — to rip
  21. capital — money
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fall — the season
  24. wound — an injury

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