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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: hand · season · game · ruler · lie · tear · plane · scale

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lie — to recline
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — to rip
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — in music

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