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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. clip — a video
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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