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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — to point toward
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — a law
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — government
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ground — the earth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mug — to rob

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