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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — a weight
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to confront
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. degree — from a university
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kid — child
  19. roll — a cake
  20. kid — to tease
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — an amount

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