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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. face — to confront
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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