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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. squash — to crush
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — help
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bore — to drill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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