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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kid — child
  7. rule — government
  8. bear — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — a video

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