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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — a container
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — a position
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — the earth

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