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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.

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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rule — a law
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — government
  24. mine — for digging

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