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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · straw · foot · face · ruler · hide

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rule — government
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — to confront
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. face — to point toward
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. 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