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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. band — a ring
  3. fine — high quality
  4. firm — steady
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — decided
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. firm — a company

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