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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — of the year
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — in football
  17. season — in sport
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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