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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — music
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. present — the time now
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — a law
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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