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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — government
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to click
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — a law

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