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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — part of the head
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mug — to rob
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mouse — 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