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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — a tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. face — part of the head
  13. shower — rain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. face — to confront
  18. bat — in an idiom

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