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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — a short time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. spell — letters
  18. clip — a video
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wound — an injury
  24. clip — for paper

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