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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — in football
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. march — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — in cards
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. swing — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. suit — to fit
  24. march — the month

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