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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. net — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to tire
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — on your feet

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