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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cold — not warm
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. game — a match
  21. rock — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — a tin

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