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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rule — a law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. clip — a video
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — in a computer

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