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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. last — to go on
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. face — to point toward
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. suit — clothes
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — finally
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — shares
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — to fit
  22. last — final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to confront

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