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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a ring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. court — of law
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — a permit
  17. court — of a king
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — in a road

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