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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. court — of law
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — the month
  12. face — to point toward
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rule — government
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — the month
  24. dip — to sink

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