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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ground — a position
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — magic
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — the earth

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