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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — to confront
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — employees
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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