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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — government
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — for light
  24. squash — the vegetable

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