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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — hasty
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — to handle
  22. key — for a lock
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — on a finger

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