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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — to confront
  11. spring — of water
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. field — a subject
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — farmland
  24. sharp — with an edge

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