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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — after costs
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — a list
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rule — a law
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mate — a friend
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — government
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. present — there
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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