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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — finally
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. last — final
  22. field — a subject
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ruler — for measuring

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