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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. row — to paddle
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — a practice

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