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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — a country
  6. face — part of the head
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. face — to point toward
  9. degree — from a university
  10. land — to come down
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — the fruit
  14. land — ground
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  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