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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. last — to go on
  3. shower — to wash
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — final
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. face — to point toward
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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