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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — certain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. firm — steady
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — tied together
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — before a funeral

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