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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. season — in sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a signal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — rain
  13. season — of the year
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cue — a hint
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. face — to point toward

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