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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — a law
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — to confront

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