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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — the animal
  24. face — to point toward

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