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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — to point toward
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — government
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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