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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — low music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tube — the underground
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — to confront

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