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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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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: pop · spell · hide · ruler · rock · face · pit · cell

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spell — letters
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ruler — for measuring

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