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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. charge — a price
  4. tube — a container
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — to recline
  9. drill — army training
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spring — a coil
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — in control
  14. spring — of water
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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