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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — child
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to succeed

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