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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. rule — government
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — low music
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — gave birth
  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