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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — to confront
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spell — letters
  21. scale — in music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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