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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to drill
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — soda
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stock — shares
  13. face — to confront
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — part of the head

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