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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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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: ruler · land · rock · fan · chest · face · lash · key

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — ground
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — a box
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — a supporter

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