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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — happening now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — of water
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — a break
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to confront

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