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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. face — to confront
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lean — to bend
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — the fruit

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