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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. suit — clothes
  5. face — to point toward
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — in cards
  8. dip — to sink
  9. last — to go on
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rule — a law
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. last — final
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — part of the head

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