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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 · rest · present · sharp · net · land · deal · face

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — for catching
  4. face — part of the head
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — in sport
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — a country
  12. face — to point toward
  13. present — a gift
  14. land — ground
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. land — to come down
  18. present — the time now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — there

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