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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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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 · cold · wake · net · pitch · temple · face · wind

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cold — an illness
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cold — not warm
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — a trail
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitch — a sports field

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