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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · deal · ruler · march · cabinet · hand

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tear — to rip
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cabinet — ministers

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