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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — part of the head
  4. capital — money
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — for betting
  11. capital — a city
  12. pop — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pop — soda
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. face — to confront
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. season — in sport

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