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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. court — for sport
  3. rule — government
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rule — a law
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to bend
  22. court — of a king
  23. dip — to sink
  24. court — of 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