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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 120 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: ruler · rush · face · racket · lie · cold · safe · chest

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — a box
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cold — not warm
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to confront

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