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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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Word bank
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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: drill · ruler · leaves · dip · season · chest · rush · face

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — to confront
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chest — of your body
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — of the year
  14. chest — a box
  15. face — to point toward
  16. season — in sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. face — part of the head

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