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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — a cup
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. snap — to click
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — a break
  19. mug — to rob
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pitch — completely

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