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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — an amount
  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