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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to click
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a path
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. march — music
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a song
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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