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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. track — a path
  5. bass — low music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. face — part of the head
  23. track — a song
  24. bear — the animal

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