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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — to breed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — for betting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — certain
  22. rule — government
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — thin

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