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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — a short time
  3. face — part of the head
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to confront
  7. last — final
  8. face — to point toward
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — finally
  17. spell — magic
  18. last — to go on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — wild animals
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. vault — a safe

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