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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — farmland
  9. cell — a phone
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — clever
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — finally
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. last — to go on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. field — a subject
  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