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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. face — to confront
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — a practice
  16. face — to point toward
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — army training

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