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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — a hole
  3. file — a document
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rule — government
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. net — in sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — a price
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mug — to rob
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mug — a face
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — electricity
  21. net — for catching
  22. mug — a cup
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a tool

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