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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. face — to confront
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. face — part of the head
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kid — child
  18. charge — a price
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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