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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rule — a law
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. kick — in football
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — a gift
  18. rule — government

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