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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lie — to recline
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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