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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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468
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: bore · game · lie · hide · toast · bat · plane · ruler

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bore — gave birth

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