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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — a law
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. firm — steady
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. net — after costs
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. firm — decided
  24. kick — in football

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