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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. face — to confront
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cell — in biology
  9. staff — employees
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — a leader
  12. face — part of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — a stone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rule — a law
  18. rock — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — to point toward

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