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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. key — the most important part

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