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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chest — of your body
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. face — to confront
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — the fish
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. swing — music
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chest — a box
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. face — part of the head
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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