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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.

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: march · hide · face · ruler · current · tube · snap · roll

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. march — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to point toward
  14. roll — a list
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — electric
  24. snap — to click

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