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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to point toward
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — to eat
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — to trim

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