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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fine — high quality
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — to point toward

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