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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. last — final
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. last — to go on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a leader
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. last — finally
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rule — government
  24. pound — a weight

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