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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — a country
  18. lie — to recline
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — an untruth

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