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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: ruler · fine · leaves · chest · face · staff · fan · hand

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. face — to confront
  10. fine — all right
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — part of the head
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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