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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — of water
  18. drill — army training
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — a coil
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rule — a law

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