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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rule — government
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — a phone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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