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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — letters
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — all right
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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