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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rule — a law
  6. last — to go on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — final
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rule — government
  19. club — a group
  20. kick — in football
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — finally

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