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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rule — government
  7. face — to confront
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — to go on
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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