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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. deal — to handle
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a leader
  21. face — to point toward
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — an agreement

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