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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bat — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — a monarch

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