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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — government
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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