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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — bread
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to confront
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a match

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