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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — a country
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wound — an injury
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. suit — to fit
  17. kick — in football
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — clothes
  23. toast — bread
  24. rest — what's left

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