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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: object · key · arm · mug · date · cold · ruler · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — an aim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mug — a face
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. object — to protest
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — a thing
  22. cold — an illness
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — to rob

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