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

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. hand — help
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. field — a subject
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — to eat
  20. face — part of the head
  21. field — for sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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