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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. face — to confront
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — bread
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cap — a hat
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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