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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — to confront
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. band — a music group
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — a group
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. club — for golf
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — of a word
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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