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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a committee
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — an amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — in football

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