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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: straw · ruler · race · hand · pit · board · face · cell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cell — a phone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. race — the arms race
  9. face — part of the head
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — a contest
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pit — in a race
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — humankind
  23. face — to point toward
  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