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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — magic
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — a short time
  5. land — ground
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. present — a gift
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — in a race
  24. present — there

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