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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. file — a tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stem — a stem cell

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