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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. band — a music group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cold — not warm
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. clip — a video
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cold — an illness
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — to cut
  24. band — a ring

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