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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

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