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

Word bank: deal · kick · pop · spring · safe · tear · ruler · game

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. game — a match
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. game — wild animals
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pop — soda
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kick — in football

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