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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — a country
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. court — of a king
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kid — child
  12. file — a tool
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. court — for sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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