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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — of water
  3. face — to point toward
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — happening now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a match
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — electric
  15. wound — an injury
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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