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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — a song
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a path
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. face — to confront
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hand — help

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