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

Word bank: face · fall · ruler · straw · pit · rock

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop

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