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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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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: rule · sharp · bat · press · ruler · cell · racket · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — to push
  9. cell — a phone
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bat — the animal

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