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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. last — final
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hand — help
  18. rock — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — to go on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. cap — a hat

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