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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — government
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tear — from crying
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tear — to rip

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