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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. lie — to recline
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to confront
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — part of the head
  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