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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. present — a gift
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tube — a container
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — the time now
  22. last — finally
  23. bore — to tire
  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