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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — a city
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — not warm
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cold — an illness
  24. capital — a big letter

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