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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a path
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — a stone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. track — a song
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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