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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · rash · face · date · wake · ruler · charge · bound

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. face — to confront
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. face — part of the head
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. charge — electricity

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