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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a song
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. kick — in football
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cold — an illness
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to confront

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