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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — newspapers
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — happy
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — to recline
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. content — the amount
  21. press — a publisher
  22. tube — a container
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — videos and posts

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