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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kick — in football
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. roll — on a roll

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