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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — the most important part
  5. face — part of the head
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — to point toward

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