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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. mug — a cup
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. net — for catching
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cell — in biology
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  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