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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: fall · lie · ruler · land · safe · cap · squash · kick

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — to come down
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — ground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kick — in football
  17. land — a country
  18. fall — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the sport

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