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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — to go on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a cake
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. date — the fruit
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. face — to confront
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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