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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — for sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bound — certain
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bound — obliged
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — tied together
  22. face — to confront
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pass — to spend time

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