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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · bore · face · court · roll · chest · wound · ruler

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — music
  6. court — of law
  7. march — the month
  8. roll — a list
  9. chest — of your body
  10. march — the month
  11. court — for sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — to point toward
  16. court — of a king
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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