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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. saw — the tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — a path
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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