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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — in biology
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — a phone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — to breed

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