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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 124 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — government
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fork — in a road

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