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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. toast — bread
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. land — ground
  8. present — there
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — the time now
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — a country
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — obliged

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