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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — after costs
  13. cold — an illness
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — to confront
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — in sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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