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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rule — a law
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — government
  23. mug — a cup
  24. face — part of the head

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