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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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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: racket · ruler · bat · date · cue · face · lash · jam

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — a hint
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. date — the fruit
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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