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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to confront
  3. rule — government
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — a thing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — a price
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — electricity
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rule — a law
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ground — a position
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — the earth

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