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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — in sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. season — of the year
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. face — to confront

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