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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ground — a position
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — money
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lie — to recline
  16. capital — a city
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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