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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: ruler · cue · march · land · mine · fine · lie · jam

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — the month
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — ground
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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