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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a ring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. band — a music group
  16. face — to point toward
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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