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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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