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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: cabinet · club · wound · ruler · sharp · rock · face · pit

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for golf
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — a group
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — for dancing

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