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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — tied together
  4. face — to confront
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — a country
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — a box
  14. face — part of the head
  15. object — a thing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — to come down
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — to point toward

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