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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — a coil

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