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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. march — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — child
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. present — a gift
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — there
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — a monarch

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