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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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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: lie · sharp · squash · tear · rest · ruler · nail · game

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. game — a match
  8. tear — from crying
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — a break
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the sport
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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