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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: kid · tear · foot · deal · fine · ruler · stick · board

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — to tease
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — to get on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — child
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fine — all right
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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