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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — help
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tube — a container
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bore — to drill
  24. tube — the underground

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