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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — crushed
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — a face
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — to confront
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. tube — in a tire

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