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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — music
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rule — a law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. face — part of the head
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — government
  17. land — a country
  18. shower — to wash
  19. land — to come down
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a round shape
  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