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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. face — to point toward

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