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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: tear · lie · content · pound · pass · mate · ruler · club

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — the amount
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — for golf
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — a group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — happy

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