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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — government
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rule — a law
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. face — to point toward
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rule — to rule out

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