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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — to push
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — a publisher
  13. field — for sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — a subject
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — an aim
  24. press — newspapers

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