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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to confront
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rule — a law
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — the most important part
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rule — government
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — to be able to

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