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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — shares
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stock — goods
  14. hand — help
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — a law
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bore — to tire

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