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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · chest · ruler · land · bear · charge · hand · stem

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. land — a country
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — electricity
  15. land — to come down
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. land — ground
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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