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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — for pool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — a group

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