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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: court · chip · ruler · lash · face · mug · cap · rash

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to confront
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of law
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. court — of a king

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