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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — help
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bore — to drill

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