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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. face — to confront
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — there
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. file — a document
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ruler — a monarch

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