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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: ruler · rock · mug · wave · face · stem · pound · chair

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — to confront
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stem — to come from
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — a leader

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