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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rule — a law
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. degree — from a university

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