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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. scale — in music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rule — government
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. scale — size or range
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cell — a phone
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. jam — in traffic

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