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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a match
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — a city
  14. lie — to recline
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — a monarch

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