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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — to go on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — there
  7. rule — a law
  8. face — to point toward
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a friend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. face — to confront
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rule — government
  20. mate — a partner
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — to breed

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