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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cap — a hat
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a lid
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bore — to tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pop — music
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — soda

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