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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — completely
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stand — to bear
  19. band — a music group
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — to breed
  22. band — a ring
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — a monarch

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