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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — of water
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — child
  7. face — to confront
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — a coil
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spring — the season
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. face — part of the head

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