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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 · lie · face · ruler · rock · mark · snap · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. face — to point toward
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — to confront
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lie — to recline
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a trace

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