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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. snap — to click
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  24. lie — to recline

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