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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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 — government
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — crushed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. field — farmland
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — for sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rule — a law
  19. ground — a position
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. field — a subject
  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