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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. band — a music group
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. firm — decided
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — to come from
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — obliged

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