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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rule — government
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. land — to come down
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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