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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — army training
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — happy
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. drill — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — the amount

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