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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: fine · chest · rest · charge · face · club · ruler · wake

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — a box
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — all right
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to point toward
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — a trail
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ruler — a monarch

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