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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. face — to confront
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rest — a break
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bat — the animal

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