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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. field — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — farmland
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. current — electric
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. current — of water
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — a hint
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — for pool

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