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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rest — what's left
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — after costs
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bat — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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