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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. object — to protest
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mug — a face
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. land — a country
  10. object — an aim
  11. land — to come down
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a cup
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — a thing

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