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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — a company
  3. face — to confront
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. craft — a skill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bore — to tire
  18. craft — boats
  19. firm — steady
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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