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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — a match
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — a country
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bowl — to roll

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