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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rule — government
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rule — a law
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — to crush
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cue — a signal

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