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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — steady
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in biology
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. firm — a company
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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